Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Flanking The Queen & Protecting Her Secrets

In 1991 at the start of the first Gulf war the Alliance commander, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf had his forces
in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Naturally, Saddam Hussein and his army expected an
attack from the east. Well before the actual attack Schwarzkopf had moved a
large number of forces and Iraq was attacked from the south. The war was over
in 100 hours. While flanking the enemy there was an element of surprise. Many
marketing terms have been derived from military strategies and tactics. On a
simple board the game of Chess explains it just as well. Let’s take a media
example: Times of India.

TOI’s greatest possession and brand is TOI, particularly the ‘Mumbai’
edition, which is also referred to as “The
old lady of Boribunder”. It has a defensive flank to protect that brand.
Sometimes it will throw up a paper called “The
Independent” (Late 80s with Vinod Mehta as its editor) and kill it when the
job is done. It will surround itself with a variety of magazines and tabloids,
mostly enterainment, but ones that will keep the competition fighting silly
battles but not dare to directly attack TOI. Is ‘The Hindu’ a threat? Okay, before they get to Mumbai, let’s take
the battle to Chennai where The Hindu is strong and launch TOI. Let The Hindu
keep fighting TOI in Chennai instead of entering the battlefield in Mumbai. Some
may or may not know but the TOI even launched a Gujarati edition early 90s to
battle local papers in Gujarat. It was simply called “Times of India-Gujarati”. That too was killed within a year. Naukri.Com threatens Ascent? Let’s
combat them with Timesjobs.Com even
if it has to play second fiddle. Over the years TOI-Group has killed
Illustrated Weekly, Indrajal Comics and some more to protect its Old Lady. Lately, to cater to the
“mini-bar-at-home’ types they have “Times-Crest”
so that any newspaper wanting that space battles Crest and not the main TOI. TV
cornering all PR money? Okay, let’s come up with “private treaties”. News channels eating into our business? Throw in
TimesNow, ETNow, TimesMovies.

The Congress party in India
runs a defensive flank too; one that protects the Gandhi family at any and all costs.
Like a 'flank opening' in a game of Chess. There are pawns like Suresh Kalmadi and there are other pieces like Natwar
Singh. Even large pieces like the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, Shivraj Patil or
Ashok Chavan can be sacrificed. Mind you, if the worst ever happens even a
Chidambaram or Sibal can be sacrificed to protect the King and the future King
(In the Congress’ case we would have to substitute it with “Queen” and “future king”). It’s a flank
that will do or die in protecting the queen, the most important and powerful
piece on the board and also the King, who is practically a useless figure in
the game, but his survival is the key. Do
remember, the first flank in the line of defence is the MSM. The crooks! On
October 1 someone did a Schwarzkopf to these flanks. Narendra Modi pulled out a newspaper, waved it and publicly stated 1880 Crores were spent on Sonia Gandhi’s travels and treatment
over the last 3 years.

That wasn’t a bullet, that was a bomb that was rocketed towards the
queen and naturally all the tin soldiers quickly assembled to encircle the
queen to protect her. There was Manish Tiwari, Rashid Alvi, Renuka Chaudhary,
Rajiv Shukla, Sagarika Ghose, Rajdeep Sardesai, Arnab Goswami and maybe some
more. All encircling the queen in protection like an old Roman army formation. But where do our media run to first? Typically, TimesNow ran first to
Digvijaya Singh. In the post ‘Stenographers & stray dogs” I had mentioned how the media treats its beat
reporters like stray dogs and sends them running for crumbs to someone who
always throws them bits and pieces of nonsense. Diggy didn’t fail them. He
said: “Modi is a RSS Pracharak and RSS
teaches its cadres to lie and shout those lies loud”. That’s a good start
isn’t it?

So Rajdeep starts off with calling it a “personal attack”. Hmm.. how is the expense on a MP and a Cabinet
rank political member a personal attack if the expenses and secrecy are
questioned? Not to be left behind, the Social Genius follows ‘Numero Uno’ with
the 1880 crores figure being “fantastical”
in a tweet. Yeah, “Miss India” knows all the answers to such questions even
before being asked. There, that’s the problem. Narendra Modi only opened up a
can of worms that the media should have opened long back. They didn’t have the
guts.

The media never asked questions about Sonia’s illness or treatment.
They never asked questions about how she travelled and what the expenses were
or who bore those expenses. Nothing! In fact, in an interview with Arun
Jaitley, Barkha Dutt even asked him if it was fair to ask questions (on another
issue) to Sonia Gandhi when she was ill. I guess that is why all our media folks
were rattled, not knowing which way to jump when Modi brought up the question.
We can, of course, dismiss the gutter rants of Manish Tiwari. We can also
dismiss Renuka Chaudhary who believes guffawing like a hyena is good argument
or defence. What we cannot dismiss is why the media was brazenly attempting to
paint this as dirty personalised politics.

Having seen Modi quoting the figure of 1880 crores, all in the media,
Rajdeep, Arnab and every Johny and his little dog were asking Modi to
substantiate his claim. Looks like no one noticed that Modi flashed a newspaper
from which he quoted the report and the amount spent on Sonia’s trips. Never
mind! More important question is: Why
should Modi have to prove something printed in a newspaper? Is it really his
job? The real problem is that it wasn’t one newspaper that printed it in July
2012 and yet all our media folks ignored that report when published. Now that
the report is being quoted, instead of verifying and fact-checking they are
asking Modi to substantiate the report. Haha.. Can there be a more stupid case of media incompetence anywhere in the
world? I doubt it.

The only person on any channel to have dug up info and verified the
report was Prabhu Chawla (on
CNN-IBN) who had cross-checked with “Jayhind”,
the newspaper that carried the report based on an agency report. Now, Rajiv
Shukla even called the agency (Hindustan
Samachar) a RSS mouthpiece. Maybe he looked up and found a RSS-feed icon
somewhere on their website and confused it. So Arnab gets the editor of Jayhind
online and asks him about the report. The editor, Yashwant Shah, quite flustered with all the surround-sound and
sudden attention to his small newspaper, meekly asks why his paper is being
mentioned and not the agency which released the report. Arnab quickly concludes
Yashwant Shah disowned his report. And Renuka Chaudhary claims the editor has
rejected Modi’s claim. Have you seen
greater stupidity by two people on national TV anywhere? But there, that’s
our media for you. Sometime earlier in the day, TimesNow also contacted Ramesh Verma, whose RTI application was
the one being referred to by newspapers and he claimed no knowledge of it.
Quite surprising but it doesn’t alter the fact the news item was indeed
published. (The report of Jayhind newspaper with the article in Gujarati is in
the pic. Thanks to @sureshnakhua).

Regardless of what Narendra Modi said it is shameful for our media to
not look inward and ask the question why they don’t have the details of Sonia
Gandhi’s frequent trips abroad and what her illness and treatment was. They
don’t even know if she is still afflicted by Cancer or fully cured. You should know this as much as you know
about cricketer Yuvraj Singh. A few days back the media proclaimed Anjali
Damania as a great hero for her unsubstantiated claims against Nitin Gadkari.
Here you have a newspaper report which Modi throws at them and they are asking
him for evidence. Even if we assume the figures or report was wrong, the
questions need to be asked of the newspapers and news agency which published
these reports. Media has no business in desperately wanting to hang Modi. If in
his place it had been a media man they would have screamed “don’t shoot the messenger”. Wouldn’t
they?

The latest is that media crooks claim Modi has apologised when he has
not. What he did say was that he would apologise if proved wrong. Now that is
trouble! Who’s gonna prove him wrong? And on what? To prove him wrong
someone will need to come out with the correct figures spent on Sonia Gandhi’s
travels and treatment. Coming out with those facts can be bad news for
Congress and its foot soldiers in the media too. That’s the Catch-22 situation
Modi has put them in. And Modi dropped the bomb just a day before Sonia Gandhi
is to visit Porbandar on Gandhi Jayanti and campaign in Gujarat.

Just a few days back Mamata
Banerjee slapped Rajdeep with a question: “Why don’t you ask this question to Soniaji, because you people don’t
have the guts”. Oh.. you see they were busy playing the role of ‘Ten Tin
soldiers’ in her flanks protecting her from any serious questions. Now that
someone surprised them like Schwarzkopf did, they’ve been caught with their
pants (dirty ones) down. Lesson for the media? Don’t flank the queen or future king. Democracy doesn’t have those,
flank the Truth and protect it. You might still die, but it would be an
honourable death!

Sonia didn't travel by "cattle class", that's certain. If Modi's figures are wrong, what prevents MSM from giving the correct figures. They might also find out and tell us where she went and how many times. I'm not exactly holding my breath, however.

And how was the hoo-hah over Pratibha Patil's travel expenses not a "personalised attack" but this one is?

Sonia didn't travel by "cattle class", that's certain. If Modi's figures are wrong, what prevents MSM from giving the correct figures. They might also find out and tell us where she went and how many times. I'm not exactly holding my breath, however.

And how was the hoo-hah over Pratibha Patil's travel expenses not a "personalised attack" but this one is?

Your ability to thoroughly analyse and to dive deep into the specifics is out of this world."Rajiv Shukla even called the agency (Hindustan Samachar) a RSS mouthpiece. Maybe he looked up and found a RSS-feed icon somewhere on their website and confused it." Laughed my wits out!! :) These morons are actually capable of such stupidities. Love each and every article of yours and my aim is that it reaches to across the length and breadth of the country.

this man..Narendra Modi... apart from having an exemplary vision of how our future must be..is equally good in knowing when n where to attack that will hurt most to Congress.....what he said should have been said by BJP central leadership long before..but..better late than never...Congress N MSM must be having sleepless nights what he will say/do...hahahaahaaha

First of all utter panick in Congress and MSM feet licker, paid media. No wonder Modi has played a great card and exposed all paid media and Congress party and Poodle Singh's Government, in one stroke. No wonder, there is chaos of unparalleled proportions.

Is there not a saying in Sanskrit "Maounam Sweekar Lakchanam", meaning silence is acceptance of facts? By not refuting the report in media, the Congress and GoI, the report will be taken as a fact. The fact may be the cost may be more. Poodle Singh must come clean and tell the nation the money spent by it on Sonia.

Ravi, as usual, your analysis is brilliant. Wish Barkha, Beef Eater, Social Genius, loudmouth Arnav and others like them have even 1% of brain like your to comprehend what is happening. Sometimes, I feel they are like sheep in a paddock following one another. Good luck Mate, keep these bas$$$s honest.

Butterly delicious !! I still complain, you spared them. Hope you may be coming with an excellent version soon. The day before yesterday those who were talking about politician's leanings, media ethics and public's right; are now talking about privacy, personal attacks and electoral politics. Yes, media-crooks did utter some times that why don't Govt. releases the details of Sonia's extravagant travels and her treatment abroad (so that they can selectively play it, if asked). But they made sure this may not amount to contempt of Her Highness. What Digvijay told about RSS is the truth which he teaches to Congy cadre and media ranters.

When congress says that it is a personal attack, it gets even better because [Scenario No.1] if tomorrow (iff) Cong files a law suit against Modi, it will be turned down the first day of hearing because they have now lost their locus standii to fight the case as they have already termed it a personal attack and the same is all over the press and written about and debated by Party Spokesperson on spouse TV channels. [Scenario No.2] If Sonia herself decides to fight the law suit, then @swamy39 will jump in and will have field day and start the permitted cross examination starting from real name,DOB,profession in London, Educational Background etc etc...This scenario will be like SG pouring pertol on herself and ligting up the fire herself. he he heee..On this given day, SG her 'not so bright son' are the biggest liability for the CONgress party and spouse channels, and they realise it every passing day. It is like being in a state of riding on top of a man eating tiger where riding cannot continue for ever.

funny, you didn't realise that the reason the papers keep asking modi these questions iss because he dared to render an apology if proved wrong? so doesnt the onus of proving it fall on modi? heck you seem to exactly the same thing msm does with sonia gandhi as with modi...

There are over 60 newspapers that carried the same story. Was the MSM sleeping then? The Modi apology offer is a challenge to the Congress.. Let them take it on if they dare... Modi offer doesnt say "I will prove MYSELF wrong and apologise".. I'm sure you can read at least that much into statements of politicians.

Why should modi prove himself right? Didnt the whole msm community "label" him guilty for 2002? So i think media is capable enough to provehim wrong this time too.. And now it should be like a homework for them to work day and night in this regard..

For public personalities/figures holding public office, the onus [burden of proof] of proving or disproving any allegation is with the public figure. Why so much ruckus??, SG can easily call a press conference in the midnight too and present the proof and put Modi on backfoot. It's this easy, but then those who have nothing to hide can do this, those who have everything to hide will normally instruct their domestic animals to do the shouting and barking.

i am not saying sonia is some saint. all i'm saying is politics should be mature enough that leaders the stature of modi should check up their facts n figures before numbers like 1800crore get bandied about. should he stoop to digvijaya style tactics?? merely because a news scoop says something isn't a reason for using it as a allegation against a political opponent AND ALSO offer to say sorry for the same. but i do agree -- sonia's silence easily helps modi consolidate his position.

Two things:First: Rajdeep played “Maut ke Saudagar” tap to deliberately bring 2002. Second: In case of Rajdeep’s personal attack quotes: “Sonia went abroad and money spent by Govt. TRUTH”On the other hand FACT: every court and SIT has cleared Modi in 2002, still there is no single day when at least one channel doesn’t repeat 2002 and bash Modi. He did today.(Most cases created by Media to run their filthy agencies and to win Bharat Bhushan)

Another important fact that I would like to know is, How much is a MP and opposition leader entitled as medical, travel expenses in case of illness? And if there is a Cap to these expenses whether the cap has been exceeded? And if the Cap has been exceeded whether the amount is recoverable from the concerned MP or has it been regularised as a special sanction?

I wish somebody from BJP tells these MSM morons that the end of Congress is near. Once the government changes their protectionism and money flows are also going to end. Its late but still there is time that they get their act together and start doing what they are supposed to be doing, i.e. unbiased reporting. Even if they are first businessmen and then reporters, they should have the business sense to align with the rising powers and severe ties with the sinking ship. Stop taking public for fools and illiterate lowly's who cannot see through your pseudo-secular neo-liberal games. Truth shines on its own authority and needs nobody's support or corroboration. Redeem yourselves now and you may be forgiven otherwise be ready to perish in the eternal flames of time.

The analogy is very very apt. especially when u say "It’s a flank that will do or die in protecting the queen, the most important and powerful piece on the board and also the King, who is practically a useless figure in the game, but his survival is the key" . Very correct when it comes to Sonia and CONgress!! Kudos !!

You have Rajiv Shukla calling Arnab and behaving hysterically to prove his sycophancy and loyalty to Royalty . but yeh public hai yeh sab jaanti hai ... no matter what u do congress ..you are destined to doom now . every move that congress does now rebounds on its face .they thought that MMS address to nation will do wonders it gave them more flak and now this .. battle lines have been drawn for Gujarat elections and General elections. and Namo has made his first move ..

Indigestion, constipation, disastrously stricken and afflicted CON Party is now fluttering in anxiety over the possible outcome Modiji's claim has generated. That they don't have an answer to his simple query is beyond doubt. This was a question social media used to raise time and time again but of course, to no effect. Main stream Media, paid media as they are rightfully called, do not cross paths with Gandhi family whatever be the reason. Congress Party on the other hand has nothing called integrity other than that prescribed by the Gandhi clan, particularly Sonia Gandhi. To circumvent and battle the accusation with some gutter english by Manish Tiwari or with some servile performance on air by Renuka Chowdary aided and abetted by the so called morally high paid media will not form the answer to what is a very pertinent question the Nation needs to know. Therefore, Congress is obliged to bring out facts and figures covering Sonia Gandhi's travelomania, however concocted they might be. It is the demand of the common man.

I HAD SENT THIS TO BUSINESS STANDARD FOR PUBLICATION. But I doubt they would publish it as they must have also been compromised by the CongressI. I find your Webpage more electrifying like reading ORGANISER of (Late) Sri Sita Ram Goel's times. Therefore I am publishing it here.

Most of our citizens sustain themselves on a paltry Rs.32/- (Rupees Thirty Two Only) per day in cities and Rs.26/- (Rupees Twenty Six only) per day in villages. (This is as per the Indian Planning Commission's recommendation resetting the country's poverty line at Rs 32 a day -- about US$0.45 -- in cities, and Rs 26 in rural areas) http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/imagine-living-rs-32-dayin-india-081690

That being the reality, it is so cruel to spend such an exorbitant amount on a naturalized Indian of 27 years of Italian birth for treatment purposes abroad. This country is not the ancestral property of the Mainos. They are not even our colonial masters. This imported leadership of the Congress party is proving to be very expensive. Either we should get rid of the party or the party should get rid of this imported legacy.

We are a graceless society barking for the sake of barking. When we dont like a person, we call him or her bad and when we like a person we call him or her good. We will eat even a dead person if that suits our campaign. We will rape a mother if it fetches votes for us.

I really wonder why you do not understand the seriouness. Our country is being looted,looting people are protected.You cannot even question the congress,for that you have to be a Buddha,Oh sorry even Buddha can't question congress party, because he left his wife and child for a spiritual life.

If a fraud takes place in public sector bank, the manager is suspended or dismissed even if the fault is some other officer's. Why not apply the same priciple with regard to politicians? Hope Kejriwal is listening.

Narendra Modi has played a master stroke by raking up the issue of Sonia's travels abroad, with this single query he has the entire Congress party and its supporters in the Media in a whirlwind from where they will find difficult to come out without any scratches...

The Media will suddenly find itself in a spot of bother... Damned if you continue this debate and damned if you discontinue this debate... Cause the Congress would want its Media dogs to stop this coverage of Sonia's Expenses but the Aam Aadmi would not let this stop...

Hats off to Modi, to be man enough to take up the Queen & The Future King... Oh shit... This sounds so scary.

Most of the Main Stream Media is d3esperately trying to blanket this news. But weird part is that because the same Media has been Trained to malign Mr Modi, they also want to draw blood for targetting their Queen. This also reminds me of Song from film Baazigar "Chupana bhi nahi Aasan Batana Bhi Nahi Aasan". Such Sick & corrupt Bastards.

Not clear if Sonia in India is more expensive than Sonia abroad .If memory serves right she had given LS affiadavit that she does not own a car.To end all bickering on data Cant CAG be mandated or himself constructively interpret his mandate to publish a half yearly report on what it costs Th Consolidated Fund of India - direct and indirect -to keep each of its Union Ministers going every month

Publish it and be damned - as Cudlipp said famouslyDisclosure without duress indeed.

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